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DVT Blood Clots:
A Patient Story

Jackie Davis suffers chronic leg swelling due to surgery-related DVT

Jackie Davis
July, 2009

I just read one of your stories about a man who broke his ankle, and later developed a very dangerous blood clot. I too, have a similiar story. My case happened 3 years ago, when I fell in my living room and broke my ankle on both sides. The orthopedic doctor had me wait for almost a week before he was able to do surgery due to the soft tissue swelling. After the surgery was performed - about 10 days or so, my leg started swelling and the cast started to feel increasingly tight. When I called the nurse, she said, "Elevate, elevate, elevate." I then started running a low grade fever, and my leg was becoming very swollen. I wasn't feeling well at all. Not wanting to bother my doctor, I just kept elevating, and after a few days, my daughter took the initiative and called the doctor directly; that was on a Sunday. He said to come into his office tomorrow - I did, and to make a long story short, an ultrasound was done, and my entire leg was clotted, swollen and very red. The cast on my leg was so tight, the nurse cut into my leg tissue when she tried to remove it, - it stung and left red cut lines. They then put a walking cast on me for suppport - although I couldn't walk yet - and I was put in the hospital for 5 days, kept down, and put on the ususal anticoagulant medications.

My ankle area still swells which might be expected, but the severe clot also has caused the entire leg to be constantly swollen. I will have this swelling for the rest of my life, I am told, since the valves in my legs are now damaged by having this horrific clot. I am just grateful it didn't move to my lungs, but I regret the entire swollen leg which will never look the same - Not good for bathing suits or even wearing a dress. I now warn others to pay attention to the clot symptoms folowing surgery. No one warned me, and I had no idea about developing a clot after a break and/or surgery. The trauma of the break in itself can cause a clot, I am told. I am a bit concerned about this long term swollen leg and what can happen with that in the years to come. I was amazed at how little my doctors knew about blood clots and how important this knowledge is to get out there for patients to become aware of the symptoms. If I had known, this clot would not have gone on so long - but obviously the nurse didn't question my swelling either. I should have had the ultra sound much, much sooner. It scares me to think I could have died. I was one of the lucky ones, and for that I am so very thankful.

Below are some pictures of my swollen leg. They are not pretty, but neither is DVT.